How ‘Clankers’ Became an Anti-AI Rallying Cry

Tan, Eli. “How ‘Clankers’ Became an Anti-AI Rallying Cry.” The New York Times, 31 Aug. 2025, www.nytimes.com/2025/08/31/technology/clanker-anti-ai.html.

In his New York Times article from August of this year, Eli Tan discusses a term being used by people as a slur against AI and robots: “Clanker”. Coming from a reference to Star Wars and tracked by an etymologist back to a post on X that sought an insult to use against technology, it isn’t just a casual joke being referenced on social media. Government representatives have used the term when talking about AI regulation, and it is frequently heard at protest gatherings speaking out against AI. More so than a further personification of AI, the term is a sign of the widespread frustrations, acting as a universal ‘catch-all’ term for the many different dislikes towards AI – from chatbot therapists to AI-slop. Some people are taking note of its similarity to derogatory terms used against human minorities, while others are open and confident with their use of it to lash out and express their dislike of AI.

Tan’s article shows a further humanization of AI, even if unintentional, by giving it its own insult: in an attempt to de-humanize the AI, a human slur was assigned to it. The most interesting part of Tan’s article is the different excuses people had for or against using the term towards AI in a derogatory fashion: one person used it to shame the bot into improvement, while others avoided using it in case the bot did some day gain sentience and seek revenge.